But all babies are different. You can talk to a health professional such as your GP or child health nurse for advice. Start thinking about phasing out dummies at around 12 months.
By 2 to 4 years, children should not be using dummies as this can affect their teeth. Offer the dummy every time your baby goes to sleep. Make sure you always have spares on hand. From about 6 months, your child will be more resistant to infections. This means you need only to wash the dummy with soap and water, rather than sterilising it.
Just make sure to squeeze out any fluid that gets inside. It is very important to check the dummy regularly to see if it's worn or degraded, as babies can choke on any loose bits. An alternative to dummy use is finger or thumb sucking. This is normal and common. Luckily, most kids give up finger-sucking all by themselves. When you're ready to stop or reduce your child's use of a dummy, make sure you choose the right time.
Don't try to do it when you or your child are stressed, or when other changes are happening in your child's life. Talk to your child about giving up the dummy. Then start cutting back on the times in the day when they have the dummy. For example, only use it in the car or the cot. This gives them a chance to get used to being without it. Once they are comfortable without the dummy, set a time and a date and then take the dummy away.
Make it a big celebration or give your child a special reward. Expect there to be some protests. You can offer them a blanket or a teddy for comfort instead. But try not to go back and give them the dummy again. Remember, sucking a dummy never becomes a lifelong habit.
Many children will stop using a dummy by themselves. Comforters are an object that a child uses to help relax and can include blankets, soft toys or thumbs. If you see that your child is choosing a special blanket or soft toy, you could buy another one like it, so that they can both wear out at the same pace and can be changed when one needs washing. Sucking thumbs or fingers is natural in babies and young children.
Most children grow out of finger-sucking around 2 to 4 years of age. Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content. Thumbsucking, or the use of a dummy by a baby, is little cause for concern before permanent teeth appear. Read more on Queensland Health website.
Dummy independence is when babies can put their dummies in by themselves. This helps if your baby uses a dummy to settle. No probs getting rid of the dummy. With my 3 month old at the time just went cold turkey took 1 night of misery then never looked back, she is now 7 months and has never had or needed it again best move ever getting rid if it. When you are looking for solutions for a crying baby or helping a newborn sleep, look no further than the amazing 5 S's techniques!
Swaddling a newborn can help baby to calm, relax and settle ready for sleep. Swaddled babies will typically sleep for longer and wake less frequently. Lullabies have long been used for comforting babies and helping them fall asleep. However when it comes to calming newborns, white noise is far more effective than lullabies and classical music. Baby Bedding. Buying Guides Advice Articles. Sleep Aids. Buying Guides. Baby Carriers. More Categories. Kids Bedroom. Breastfeeding Gifts for Mum Pregnancy.
Sleep Advice. Shopping Online. About Us. Sleep Information. Sleep Advice Community. Why use a dummy with your newborn Many newborn babies love to suck, and you will find sucking can really help them to settle.
Dummy use can reduce the risk of SIDS. Newborn dummy tips Make sure feeding is well established before introducing a dummy. Never dip the dummy in anything to make it taste better! Never force a baby to take a dummy if she doesn't want it. We Recommend These. Shop All Dummies.
When to wean off the dummy If you are keen to wean your baby off a dummy before the habit gets too established, start to reduce use by about 3 months. Babies can often learn to put a dummy back in for themselves at about 5 months old. Weaning off the dummy at this age Many people recommend the 'cold turkey' approach of getting rid of the dummy, ie just stop offering it.
Community ideas on dummy weaning Here's some ideas from our Facebook community on weaning off the dummy with little babies: My boy 12months had a dummy until he was nearly 6 months old. Cold turkey at 4 months, was much easier than we thought. Took about 48 hours for him to adjust and I'm glad we got rid of it when we did - I was getting up to put it back in at night and since giving it up he wakes once for a feed and that's it now 5 months old Used the pick up put down sleep training technique.
Recommended Articles. Just make sure to squeeze out any fluid that gets inside. A common alternative to dummy use is sucking fingers or thumbs. On the upside, babies can find their own fingers easily when they need them.
Luckily, most children give up finger-sucking by themselves. Skip to content Skip to navigation. Dummies: advantages and disadvantages Sucking a dummy can help some babies settle. But not all babies like dummies. There are other disadvantages to dummies too: Dummy use is linked to slightly higher rates of middle ear infections.
Babies can get very upset when dummies are lost or misplaced. Babies can end up needing their dummies to get to sleep. You can teach dummy independence when your baby is eight months or older.
0コメント